‘Take it home’ warning as Southsea Common left strewn with rubbish and broken glass

With pleasant weather on Good Friday many people chose to head to the seafront to enjoy a picnic, a few drinks and barbecues.

However local residents have reported broken glass, laughing gas canisters and empty cans being left behind as well as scorch marks from disposable barbeques. Photographs sent to The News even showed the remnants of a burnt out fire pit.

Kate Davenport, 38, who lives in Pembroke Park, said: ‘I went for a walk at 9am and the common was just full of rubbish – it was so sad to see. There was smashed glass and I even stood on a discarded bottle I had not seen.

‘I was out there with my three-year-old and it was a real concern. You don’t want children picking up rubbish and this is a real health risk particularly with current concerns over transmitting the virus.

‘A number of the bins seemed to be full but if you have brought something in a bag then what is wrong with just putting your rubbish back in that bag and taking it home?’

Kate said she had spoken to a number of council refuse collectors who were ‘upset and annoyed’ at the state the common had been left in.

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Deputy leader of the council, Cllr Steve Pitt said he had been at Southsea Common on Good Friday morning and was ‘disappointed’ with the amount of rubbish which had not been put in bins.

He said: ‘I was out yesterday and there was clearly a lot of litter which is always a concern and a disappointment. The common is a public space for everyone to use and if people can’t be bothered to walk to a bin, then take it home.

‘We have installed more bins on the seafront but everyone is ultimately responsible for their own rubbish. If you are going to barbecue then do so in a designated area and purchase a metal stand.’

Cllr Pitt added that overhead drone footage ‘seemed to show’ the majority of people enjoying the spring sunshine were complying with the rule of six or two household maximum for meeting up on Friday.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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